


Tales of Linked Hearts

by vannahfanfics



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Cutesy, F/M, Fluff, Gen, General fluff, Oneshot, Oneshot collection, Romance, friendship fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2020-11-28 16:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20969924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vannahfanfics/pseuds/vannahfanfics
Summary: A collection of oneshots from the Kingdom Hearts fandom.DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters presented within these stories. Those rights belong exclusively to Tetsuya Nomura.





	1. Foreword

Hello everyone! Welcome to my oneshot collection for Kingdom Hearts, _Tales of Linked Hearts! _It includes a variety of stories, from passionate romances to tales of friendship, and I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. If you have migrated here from _Cuddle Corner, _thank you for sticking with me; if you are new, welcome and enjoy what I have here! In either case, happy reading!

I do take prompts/pairing and story requests (in fact, I love them, so please feel free to request!). However, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

  * If a prompt is submitted, I **do not** guarantee that I will agree to write it. If I feel uncomfortable at the prompt or otherwise feel like I do not possess enough information to adequately complete the prompt, it is my right to politely refuse to take the prompt. If the prompt is from a series that I have not read/seen, it is likely that I will place the prompt on hold until I have done so. If the prompt is from an anime filler arc, I may refuse or require a short explanation of the filler arc to provide me with enough detail to complete the prompt. Please respect my choice as an author to refuse prompts. 
  * Please do not comment with ship hate. I do not tolerate ship discrimination here (within reason, citing the rules below); it is a sure-fire way to earn yourself a block. I am a multi-shipper and don't care about petty ship wars, so it's really quite rude to come on here bleating that I am "delusional" for writing non-canon ships for fun. _Don't do it._ I write your ship too, I promise. Let others enjoy their ships. 
  * Most of the stories I write are male/female, mostly because this is what I am comfortable writing. However, if you wish to suggest a female/female or male/male prompt, please feel free to do so. I don't discriminate against such pairings and will most likely write them if requested, it is just unlikely that I will do so spontaneously. Again, please respect my decision as the author to refuse to write a pairing if I cannot draw appropriate inspiration.
  * Finally, this is _not _a place for smut. I respect people who read and/or write it, but I am not one of those people, so please do not request anything that is NSFW. Incest and pedophilia are also prohibited. Other than NSFW, there are two other things to keep I mind. _I do not romanticize cheating_. So if I feel your request involves something of this nature, I will politely refuse. I have been hassled about this before, so please don’t press me on it. Secondly, _I am sensitive about large age gaps between characters_. These will be taken on a case-by-case basis and depends on the age of the characters as well as their relationship. I am particularly iffy concerning student-teacher relationships, and those will most likely be refused. Of course, everyone is entitled to their preferences and I will never harass you or judge you if you request something of this nature. All I ask is that if I refuse, you take is gracefully, and don’t get upset if I happen to write another pairing with an age gap because the circumstances are most likely radically different. I promise you that I have my reasons. 

My requests are currently: **CLOSED**


	2. Index

**Chapter 1:** 3 a.m. Musings and Cherry Lip Gloss _(Hayner/Olette)_

**Chapter 2:** Much Ado About Love _(Sora/Anna)_

**Chapter 3:** Roxas the Wingman_ (Sora/Jasmine)_

**Chapter 4:** Sora's Road _(Sora)_

**Chapter 5: **Existence _(Roxas & Naminé)_

**Chapter 6:** Talking to the Wind _(Sora/Kairi)_

**Chapter 7:** Sky and Sea _(Kairi/Sora)_

**Chapter 8:** The Path to Happiness_ (Terra & Ventus & Aqua)_

**Chapter 9:** Safe Travels_ (Naminé & Xion)_

**Chapter 10:** Garden of Shadows_ (Marluxia & Naminé)_


	3. 3 a.m. Musings and Cherry Lip Gloss

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Hayner, Olette

With a small groan, Hayner cracked an eye open to peer sleepily at the alarm clock on his nightstand. The bright green numbers depicting 2:28 a.m., the only light source in the inescapable gloom of night, burned into his golden irises. With a louder, more aggravated groan, he rolled onto his back to shove his pillow over his head as if that would make him get to sleep faster. Instead, the neon letters imprinted into his corneas blazed in the dark of his closed eyes. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to lull himself to sleep, he jerked up into a sitting position, shoved the pillow off himself, and just stared out into the dark. 

Hayner didn’t usually struggle with sleep. Hell, normally, he passed out right as his head hit the pillow. It was an infuriating change of pace. It wasn’t like he had anything pressing to do in the morning, but the boy just liked his sleep. It was one of life’s many simple pleasures… one that was apparently going to be denied him tonight. He supposed that at least he could take solace in the fact that it wasn’t just some random bout of insomnia; there was at least a reason his mind was whirling one hundred miles an hour and just refused to shut off. 

Sora was missing. 

The three of them hadn’t been informed of the details. Roxas had just mentioned it in passing because he was depressed about it. There were things about Sora (and the others, too) that Hayner would probably never know- world-jumping and monster-fighting and data-worlds. He was content with that, but what he _wasn’t_ content with was feeling so damn powerless in it all. 

Hayner didn’t have a fancy Keyblade that he could sling around and save the day. All he could do was wish, and wish, and _wish_. Hayner was pretty damn tired of wishing while everyone else charged in to do the work, though. He sighed deeply as he ran both his hands through his tousled blonde hair. Sure, he resented it, but it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. Hayner couldn’t _wish_ some fancy weapon into existence, unfortunately. 

_There’s nothing for it, _Hayner thought as he rolled onto his belly to grab his cell phone off the nightstand. He plucked it off the charger and tapped the screen, recoiling with a light screech as it blazed to life and virtually disintegrated his eyeballs. Stuffing his face into the mattress to recover, Hayner swiped his thumb across the top of the screen to lower the brightness. After a minute, the scorching pain receded, and he wearily lifted his head to blink at the now-darkened phone screen. He pulled up his messaging app and tapped on his archived conversation with Olette. 

**_Hey, are you awake? _**The little bubble made a _swoosh _sound as it appeared on the screen. There probably was a snowball’s chance in hell that Olette would be awake. He would probably have more luck texting Pence, who was an insufferable night owl who somehow could operate on four hours of sleep and be that same cheerful ball of positivity instead of an irritated zombie. That’s how Hayner got after less than _eight _hours of sleep. Still, Hayner wasn’t sure he could use Pence’s radiant optimism right now. He was feeling out of sorts, and the one who always comforted him when he was that way was Olette. 

Hayner stared at the screen for a minute, waiting to see if the girl was going to respond. He was actually going to break down and just text Pence anyway until another _swoosh_ alert signaled the arrival of another, differently-colored text bubble. 

** _I am. What are you doing up so late? _ **

**_Can’t sleep. What are YOU doing up so late? _**Hayner countered. A faint smile ghosted over his lips as he drew up his legs over his back and laid his cheek against the soft mattress. Man, he was glad that she was awake. Something about that made him feel calmer already. Although, Hayner always got like that when it was just him and Olette- because he kind of had a pretty big crush on her… 

**_Heehee! I can’t sleep either! _**A soft sigh left his mouth. He could imagine that little giggle of hers, accompanied by the sweet smile hidden behind her hand that she raised to her mouth when she laughed. God, he was hopeless when it came to her. **_Want to meet at the usual spot? _**He sat up on his arm, intrigued. That was certainly a proposition he hadn’t been expecting at the wee hours of the morning. Still, it was a heck of a lot better than lounging in bed _wishing_ he could fall asleep. 

** _Sure. I’m on my way. _ **

Within minutes, Hayner had changed out of his pajamas in favor of a pair of jeans, a slim-fit, long-sleeve white shirt, and a black jacket. Now that it was the tail end of summer, the nights were beginning to grow cooler, necessitating such precautions. Indeed, as he stepped out of his house onto the bricked streets of Twilight Town, a cold wind blew through the empty corridors and roadways with a quiet, shrill whistle, making Hayner shiver slightly and stuff his hands down into his pockets. Absently, he wondered if Olette had dressed warm enough. He would offer her his jacket if he thought she hadn’t. Setting a brisk pace, he began walking up the sloped incline that led to their secret meeting place. 

There wasn’t a soul out beside him. Hayner found the atmosphere peaceful; the town was always a-hustle and a-bustle with people walking towards the shopping district or conversing while they waited for the trams or just wandering about looking for something to do. Even far from the tracks, one could always hear the tram cars rattling as they continuously rounded their circuit of the city. Even the forest before the old mansion wasn’t free of noise; the trees always shook with the wind, and the air always abounded with chattering birdsong. 

Hayner, busybody supreme, had always found the noise somewhat comforting and energizing. However, as he strolled under the brilliant canvas of the starry night sky in silence, he found that pleasant and stimulating in its own way, too. 

God, he was going all philosophical. Is this what Pence did every night when he stayed up until the crack of dawn? Scowling, he rubbed at his eyes, feeling the bags that were already forming underneath them. He was probably going to regret this little excursion in the morning. 

In no time at all, his feet had carried him to their secret base nestled behind an unassuming chain-link fence. 

“Olette?” he called as he pulled back the curtain, not wishing to startle the girl if she was there. It was exceptionally likely, considering she lived closer to the base than he did. Sure enough, she perched on one of the overturned wooden boxes that served as their humble chairs. God, they needed to stop spending so much money on ice cream and pretzels and by some real furniture, especially considering that Lea, Isa, Roxas, and Xion were cramming themselves in there now, too. 

Olette cocked her head to the side while giving a little wave and that sweet, sweet smile of hers. It almost made Hayner melt on the spot. It seemed being awake so late was making him all sentimental, too. He was all out of sorts for all sorts of reasons. _What a concept_. “Hey, Olette,” he smiled back at her as he entered the small nook. 

“What’s on your mind, Hayner?” _Yikes, right to the point_. Scratching his head with an embarrassed smile, he hovered in the doorway. She waited patiently for him to answer, hands clasped in her lap and green eyes sparkling with pure goodness. God, he loved her, really. _Wait. That isn’t the topic of conversation, _he reminded himself. 

“I’ve just been thinking,” Hayner frowned as he struggled to put his complicated feelings into words, “how upset I would be if any of you guys just up and disappeared on me.” Wow, that actually came out articulated and cohesive. Not bad for being half-asleep. 

He walked over to sit on the small box across from her, resting a cheek in his hand while the other arm slung across his opposite knee. “I know there’s nothing we can do about Sora, but I can’t help but think about it, y’know? I can’t imagine what the others are goin’ through. I’d be devastated if you vanished, Olette.” 

The words hung in the air for a moment before he realized exactly what he had said. He immediately blushed fiercely, almost grasping upwards to pluck them down and shove them back into his mouth. That wasn’t how things worked, though. He shrunk into himself in mortification as Olette stared at him with owlish eyes. 

Hayner decided then and there not to have any more 3 a.m. conversations with Olette. 

The tense silence that settled between them also made him elect that silence was no longer comforting. “Um… Say something, please,” he asked awkwardly after it became too much for him to bear. 

“O-oh!” she cried while flushing pink and waved her hands about in an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry, I just zoned out?” She laughed with a nervous smile. Hayner frowned lightly as he resumed his horrible slouching posture. It was definitely a weak excuse, but like _hell_ he was gonna question it. “Um, yeah… I totally get what you mean. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it too… It’s also why I couldn’t sleep. I’m almost afraid that I would wake up, and…” she trailed off to play with her fingers, gaze falling to her lap, “you not being here anymore…” she finished shyly, glancing up through her pretty lashes at him. 

If Olette was really hinting that she liked him as he liked her, well, she was probably questioning it, because Hayner looked pretty stupid with the way his mouth was hanging open as he gawked incredulously at her. Hastily, he shut his mouth and leaned back, unsure quite what expression he was trying to make on his face at the moment. Somehow he managed to form words, though. 

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that, Olette… I’ll always… be here…” The could’ve come out smooth as hell, but he made it sound so awkward and shy. Well, it really was a wonder he said it at all because he sure wouldn’t have if it were a typical time of day. 

For the duration of him saying it, his eyes had been searching the meeting spot for something to land on, only to drift back to Olette. He instantly felt his heart clench in his chest; the way she was looking at him right now, so relieved and happy with just a hint of a demure smile on her pretty pink lips… 

Wait, did she have on lip gloss? Who puts on lip gloss at 3 a.m.? 

His hands flew to the edges of the box underneath him when she suddenly stood up and walked across the room to stand in front of him. He encased that box in a white-knuckled grasp as he looked up at her uncertainly. 

“Promise?’ she asked him softly, endearingly, hopefully. With the way the sleep was fogging his brain, he began to wonder if this was all a dream, that he really was asleep after all. Well, if it was a dream, why stop, and if it wasn’t and he really was awake, all the better. 

“Promise. I’m not going anywhere, Olette.” 

Hayner should pull a move. Girls liked moves. The movies all said so. 

He pried one of his hands from the box and trying to ignore the bright red imprint of its rough surface against his palm. He reached out to grasp one of her own, gently rolling circles into the top of it with his thumb. From the way she bashfully looked down at their held hands then up at him, he could tell that it was a successful move. Point one for sleep-deprived Hayner. 

Olette reached up with her other hand to softly brush her fingertips over his cheeks. The feather-light touch sent electricity skittering across his entire face that lingered after her hand had already fallen away. 

“I’m glad.” The way she whispered the words sent an oddly pleasurable shiver up his spine. He got a sudden urge to kiss her. 

Was he crazy? Probably. Then again, he was dangerously close to lunacy already from not sleeping. 

Was he going to go for it? _Absolutely. _

“Olette…” Her name crept past his lips without him noticing as he stood up, tilting his head slightly as he looked down at her. He still held her hand while his other rested against her cheek, fingertips just barely threading into her waves of chestnut hair. She styled it every morning, but it consisted of crimped waves of chocolatey locks due to the late hour. Somehow, he liked that even more… It made her look so natural, so raw, so _beautiful_. 

Without another word, his face drifted down over her own to plant a soft, sweet kiss on her lips. Olette angled her face to respond to him, and as a little of her lip gloss smeared across his mouth, he could vaguely discern the sweet taste of cherries. Point one for lip gloss at 3 a.m. 

Hayner held the kiss for a minute before pulling back, but only just. As her eyes fluttered open to peer up at him adoringly, he smirked playfully. “I guess it’s just a little unnecessary to say that I like you, Olette.” 

She giggled, holding her hand up to her mouth just like she always did, and he swore that he fell even more in love with her only from that. 

“Yes, but a girl likes to hear it anyway.” Her green eyes sparkled up at him like sunlight filtering through a thick canopy of leaves. “Feel better?” 

“Loads.” Just from talking to her, he felt like a great weight dropped off his shoulders. Suddenly, a large yawn split his face, and he rubbed his eyes at a sudden onset of drowsiness. He felt like he could fall asleep on the spot. 

Olette giggled again before asking, “Care to walk a girl home?” He nodded in agreement and Olette grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before tugging him out of the secret base. As the chill wind greeted them, she pressed her body against his, and they set off together in the deep of night with the moon and stars as their only company. Hayner really wasn’t sure how he got from point A to B, because his memory faded very quickly after their leaving. 

The only reason he knew that it wasn’t a dream was the faint lingering taste of cherry lip gloss on his lips in the morning. 


	4. Much Ado About Love

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sora, Anna

Requested By: cornholio4 (FanFiction)

With a small sigh of exertion, Sora paused a moment to plop down on his behind and sit back against the brick wall of one of the many buildings lining the circular fountain courtyard where Arendelle’s princesses and citizens were now celebrating the return of the country’s usual warm climate. Compared to the bitter, biting freeze of the winter that had been borne of Elsa’s tumultuous emotional experience, the summery warm air only stifled by the occasional light breeze wrapped around Sora like a welcoming embrace, and he enjoyed it so much more. The bricks were already soaking up the sunlight to pulse with a light heat that spread across the surface of his back, and he closed his eyes in contentment to simply enjoy the fuzzy feeling it spread through his tired muscles. Sora was by no means out of shape (as a Hero of Light, he simply could not be) but climbing a mountain not once but _three_ times then kicking the crap out of a big, giant Heartless was liable to give anyone leg cramps. With a small sigh, he rubbed at his calves in the hopes that it would dissipate the cull ache in his lower leg muscles. He looked up when a shadow fell over him, expecting it to be one of his companions insisting he get a move on to the next world, only to find Anna’s charming smile and glittering blue eyes greeting him instead of Donald’s impatient scowl or Goofy’s nonchalant grin.

“Taking a breather?”

“Yeah. Heroes get tired too, believe it or not,” he chuckled up at her. Anna giggled lightly, holding a hand to her prim little mouth. Sora smiled slightly as he absently thought that she looked very cute when she laughed, the way her eyes scrunched up at the corners and her cheeks took on a rosy tint. Continuing to smile at him, she leaned up against the wall beside him and then slipped down to where she was primly sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles in front of her and her hands resting on her lap.

“So do princesses!” she laughed. Sora grinned and began laughing with her, and they chuckled for a good minute over it before their giggles died down. Sora looked at her watching her sister revel with all the townsfolk. It was amazing to watch, considering the picture that had been painted for him earlier implied that the townspeople were ready to chase Elsa down with pitchforks. It was amazing what truth, and forgiveness, could really do. As he thought about the dramatic showdown with Hans on the frozen bay, he suddenly recalled something he had been meaning to tell the princess sitting beside him.

“Oh, Anna… I’m sorry that things turned out the way they did with Hans. I know you really liked him.” Just thinking about it burned him up inside. How dare he pretend to be a good guy and lead Anna along just to attempt to steal Elsa’s throne? Not to mention that he was perfectly willing to leave Anna to die in a painful and agonizing way and kill Elsa in cold blood. Evil people were enough, but evil people who were conniving and put up a false, innocent persona? Those bothered Sora more than anything, because people like Anna always got their hearts broken in betrayal that way. He curled his gloved hands into fists as rage pumped adrenaline into his veins. “Man, if I ever got my hands on that guy…” he grumbled under his breath.

“Thanks, Sora. You’re sweet.” Her caring voice instantly dissolved any sort of ill will in his body and he looked at her with wide eyes. She sighed slightly and looked out at the fountain, where sparkling water was streaming up to catch the sunlight spilling down from the clear blue sky. “I thought I was in love with Hans. I realize now that Elsa was right… I think I was just lonely and desperately looking for someone who would notice me and give me attention,” she admitted with an uncomfortable look. “Love is a much, much stronger emotion than just simple attraction.” The smile returned to her face as her eyes drifted from the arcing water to her sister, who was merrily dancing with Olaf while an amused Donald and Goofy watched. Kristoff was too busy trying to prevent Sven from stealing a vegetable cart vendor’s carrots. “I know that now.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. To be honest, I don’t know much about the ‘love’ thing,” Sora frowned while scratching at the side of his face with his index finger. Sure, he knew plenty about platonic love- he cared a whole lot about his friends, that was for sure, and he cared about all the people he had met on his great journey through so many worlds, and he even cared about those he had never met but where connected to his heart all the same. Still, even seeing the many displays of romantic love throughout his quest to quell the darkness and save the people who had been lost because of Xehanort- well, he really hadn’t the faintest clue about it.

“Really?” Anna mused. The look she gave him just them unsettled him in a frightful yet oddly stimulating way; she looked almost daring with the way her eyes were shining, and something on the border of triumph danced in her curling smirk. “I would’ve thought a hero like you would have someone in mind.” Sora’s mind instantly flew to Kairi. Sure, he loved her, but he wasn’t sure it was in that sense. He loved Riku just as much. He never really thought about holding her hand or just being alone without Riku there or, holy crap, _kissing _her. Nope, it weirded him out just thinking about it. Kairi was just… Kairi to him, plain and simple.

“Yeah, nope. Nothing of the kind,” he frowned and plucked at his spiky strands of chestnut hair. Suddenly he couldn’t bear to look at her; even though he wasn’t, he could feel her eyes searching his face, those wintery blue eyes like clear ice boring into him as if it were stripping him down to his very essence… “Wh-what about you?” he stammered suddenly, trying to derail the conversation. “You and Kristoff seem… chummy.”

“Me and Kristoff?” Anna snickered and a hand flew to her chest. Sora’s eyes followed the motion and he noticed that her nails were nicely manicured. Probably par for the course for a princess. “Kristoff will forever have a special place in my heart for helping me the way he did. Next to Elsa, he’s definitely my best friend- but that’s where it ends.”

“Oh.” He was beginning to grow confused, because for some reason he was _glad_ about that. Surely he couldn’t be harboring some kind of fledgling feelings for the princess, right? Sure, she was beautiful, as were many of the princesses he had met, with a warm, welcoming smile and brilliant eyes like crystalline ice formations and luscious auburn-brown hair that kind of called to him to reach out and run his fingers through… And the idea of her being with anyone else, Kristoff or otherwise, kind of made him sad. He had already made up his mind that he would definitely be back to visit Arendelle after settling the business with Xehanort so he could explore the kingdom with her while it wasn’t buried under a blanket of snow and ice… Walking around alone, their bodies close so that their arms just barely brushed together… He would sneakily reach out and touch her fingers and then she would grab his hand, bashfully smiling at him… _Wait a minute. _His face grew hotter as the blush spread back to the tops of his ears. That was certainly a fantasy he had never had before. He had never experienced love before, but he wasn’t _completely_ stupid; that was pretty dang close, he had to reckon.

Every muscle in his body stiffened as Anna scooted a little closer to him; like he had envisioned, her shoulder brushed against the muscle of his upper arm, and even though there was the barrier of sleeves, his nerves still sung in a high-pitched squeal, sending shockwaves down to the tips of his fingers and up his neck.

“You’re blushing, Sora.” The teasing in her voice just made him flush even further.

“N-no I’m not! It’s just hot! I got so used to it being cold that now I’m hot!” he cried in a futile attempt to dissuade her from the frankly obvious. Pursing his lips in a pout, he turned his head opposite her, chin upturned in a dully childish display of being caught red-handed. Really, he had just met her, and now he had a schoolboy crush. Wasn’t that the exact opposite of what they had been talking about? As if drawn by a magnet, his eyes rolled in his sockets to peer at her out of the corners; she had her head tilted at a downward angle as those crystal-blue eyes stared knowingly at him from beneath the shade of her thick black lashes, and that same sweet yet challenging smile was gracing her lips. Sora’s nose twitched as his heart clenched in his chest. She really was positively adorable and pretty…

Yep. Crush confirmed.

“Anna,” he started, but then stopped, because he really wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. Guess he also wasn’t the smoothest person in the worlds when it came to love.

“Hey. You’ll come back and see me, right?” she interrupted when it was clear his words where going nowhere. Shocked, his head snapped around to look at her fully. The smile had fallen from her face as it took on a solemn, serious expression. “I know that you have important things you have to do that’ll take you far from here… But whenever that’s done, I would really like it if I can show you Arendelle properly.” Sora gulped and tugged at the neck of his shirt as his body temperature amped up a couple notches. “Heroes have free time, too, right?” she said as that smile appeared on her face once more. It was infectious, because it wormed its way onto his features, too.

“Of course. It’s a promise,” he assured her with an emphatic nod. Anna grinned brightly and straightened up, clearly pleased. He fully expected her to jump up and rejoin the festivities (and let his crush stay buried, hopefully) but she instead did something he never would’ve been expecting in a thousand years- she leaned forward to peck a little kiss onto his cheek. Sora instantly blazed the crimson red of Lea’s hair and heated up to the point Little Chef could’ve fried an egg on his head, no problem. Leaving him to short-circuit like a toaster in a bathtub, Anna _then_ hopped up with a giggled _see you soon! _to join the others, who were none the wiser of the very blatantly flirtatious thing that had just occurred. Head following her skipping run as she left, he raised a hand to the cheek where the ghost of her lips still danced. A wan smirk appeared on his mouth.

_Heh… Maybe I know a little about love after all. _Surely he must; that’s what the sing-song beating of his heart and the fluttering butterflies in his stomach were telling him, anyway.

Sora was already looking forward to the return visit…


	5. Roxas the Wingman

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Sora, Jasmine

Requested By: cornholi4 (FanFiction)

Additional Tags: College AU

A dreamy smile was on Sora’s face as he leaned over his desk with a lightly blushing cheek in one hand with the other slowly, methodically, absently twirling his pencil, hazy blue eyes currently locked onto the radiant young woman seated exactly two rows ahead and one seat to the left of him. A deep, admiring sigh exited his lungs as he sat there admiring her, not even paying attention to the droning of their history professor pointing at some map or another on the PowerPoint. Her name was Jasmine, and she was the most beautiful creature that he had even seen; thick, luscious dark brown hair that framed her face in flowing waves, beautiful caramel latte skin that glowed like the desert’s setting sun, warm brown eyes with thick brown lashes that Sora so easily envisioned himself getting lost in. His elbow slid over the smooth surface of the desk as he craned his neck further trying to get a better look at her; all he succeeded in doing was slamming his head down onto the table with a loud _smack!_ He flushed pink at the chorus of giggles that bubbled up around him, namely from one of his best friends that was sitting beside him- Roxas.

“Dude, would you just man up and get her number already?” the blonde boy snorted in derision. Sora growled lightly in response, peering through his spiky brown bangs up at the sneering guy.

“Shut up, Roxas, it ain’t that easy…”

“You talking about Jasmine?” Xion asked from Roxas’ other side, leaning forword so that she could be involved in the conversation. “Isn’t she dating that Aladdin guy?” For effect, the raven-haired girl gestured to the Arabian man seated beside Jasmine who was feeding his totally illegal pet monkey apple slices under the desk. Sore grunted in a bout of triumphant laughter.

“Nah, they’re just friends.”

“You know that, but you don’t know her number?” Roxas tutted with a shake of his head. “This is ridiculous. I can’t deal with your groaning and moaning anymore,” he muttered. Sora lifted up his head as Roxas scrawled something hastily on a piece of notebook paper, tore it free from his binder, and crumpled it up into a ball.

“H-hey, what’re you- _Oh my God, no!_” Sora hissed in utter dismay as Roxas reared back and launched the wad of paper at the back of Jasmine’s head. Roxas had a pitcher’s arm, and the projectile smacked right into his intended target; she gasped lightly aloud and her hair whipped over her shoulder as she wildly glanced back, eyes darting through the crowd to see who would dare chuck the paper at her. Sora had slammed his head down on the desk again and was shielding it with his arms, whining miserably. Through the small gap in his arms, he saw Roxas motion to her to open up the paper. Warily, Jasmine did as bid, leaning down to retrieve the crumpled ball and, as quietly as she could, unwrinkled it to see what was written on the page.

“I hate you.”

“You ain’t about to in five seconds,” Roxas laughed back. Whining with the pitch of a wailing jet engine, Sora could only watch in dismay as Jasmine’s brown eyes danced over the penciled words. He jumped violently in his seat as they darted back to lock right onto him, so violently in fact that he kicked his backpack two feet forward and made the desk screech against the floor, making the whole back of the class snicker at him again. He shrunk down into his chair with a raging blush, wishing for nothing more than to melt through a hole in the floor and never return, as the girl’s piercing eyes regarded him levelly. Slowly, note in hand, she turned around to resume listening to the teacher’s lecture. Sora wasn’t sure if it was a good sign that she gently laid the note down on her desk rather than crumpling it back up and beaming it right for his bright red forehead. “Relax,” Roxas chuckled as he slapped Sora on the back encouragingly. “I got this.”

Sora only responded with another wheedling groan. He would have to get the notes from Xion after this, because there was no way in hell he was going to be able to focus because he was too busy wondering which way Jasmine was gonna smack the hell out of him after class. Upside the head? On his cheek? Maybe she would go straight for an uppercut or a sucker-punch… Sora spent so much time spiraling into worse and worse probabilities that he didn’t even notice class was over- that is, until the girl he was currently panicking over was standing right in front of his desk. When her pretty manicured nails tapped lightly on the surface of the desk to get him to lift his head, which was shoved down into his arms, he did way more than that; he jerked up like a rod, vibrating the desk as he quivered in absolute alarm. When she quirked an eyebrow at him, he felt like he was gonna explode.

“H-h-h-hey J-jasmine…” Roxas was bent over double trying to contain his laughter at the horribly pitiful display he was putting on. At least Xion tried to smile at him- at least, for all of three seconds before her cheeks bulged out and her hand flew to her mouth to contain the loud snort. Sora deflated, hand delving into the spiky tufts of his brown hair. “Look, Jasmine, I’m sorry. Ro-“

“Is it true?”

“Do wut?” He gaped owlishly at her. She flipped the note around and his blue eyes slowly drifted down to the messy writing scribbled across it basically admitting that he was totally over-the-moon for her. His cheeks turned the color of cherry blossoms as his startled blue eyes rose to her inquisitive but not judgmental ones. “Oh, hehehehe… Um…. _Yeah_…” he admitted in a teeny-tiny shy voice. He smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I guess you’re, uh, gonna tell me to buzz off or somethin’ now, right?” _Of course she is! She’s so pretty and outta my league… I totally fudged it about Aladdin, too; what if they are dating? I mean, I can take that guy, but still!_

“No…” He looked up with bugging eyes as her pretty lips curled into a shy smile. “I was going to say that if you’d like, I’ll meet you at Starbuck’s at three to chat.” Sora gaped stupidly at her while his little pea brain attempted to process what she had said. When it did, it didn’t have nearly enough capacity to form coherent sentences, so he settled for wildly nodding his head instead. As she giggled girlishly and gave him a small wave before strutting off, Sora melted into a pile of lovestruck goo against the desk.

“Ah… No way… We’re gonna go to Starbuck’s <3” he cooed as he basically reached nirvana. The tingling that was traveling all over his body surely signaled the release of his soul from his material form. Well, he had to grab it and force it back in, because there was no way he was gonna miss his date! Now that the girl was gone, Roxas no longer cared about somewhat preserving Sora’s dignity; with an unrestrained howl of laughter, he began beating his fist against the desk while he remained bent over from cackling so hard.

“_Holy shit!_ You looked so uncool! You better count yourself lucky that she likes goofballs, because _Jesus Christ!_” With a deep gulp for air, he sat up, face flushed and tears at the corners of his eyes. Sora didn’t know whether to glare at him or laugh with him, because loathe as he was to admit it, he probably did look like a big bungling buffoon. Par for the Sora course. Roxas continued chuckling as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Ahhh, man… That was good… Ehe, you owe me ice cream for this one, Sora.”

“Yeah, I suppose I do. Thanks. Though I coulda done without you laughin’ at me.”

“Look, I’m nice, not a saint.”

“Heehee, you two… Sora, three o’clock isn’t far off. You should probably hurry!” Xion told him. With a gasp, Sora leaped out of his desk. Well, he attempted to leap, but his foot caught on one of the desk chairs and he ended up sprawled out on his belly. Groaning, he stretched out an arm to retrieve his backpack and then hurriedly scrambled up, yelling good-bye to Roxas and Xion as he hauled ass out of the lecture hall. He could barely hear the shouts of protest as he barreled down the hallway and out the building, shooting down the sidewalk in the direction of the campus library. He didn’t hear them, because his heart was singing with joy. He jumped up to pump his fist in the air with a hyped crow of his voice.

_I got a date with Jasmine! Thank God for wingmen… _


	6. Sora's Road

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Sora, Belle

Requested By: cornholio4 (FanFiction)

The air was pleasantly perfumed with the scent of roses as Sora strolled through the wrought-iron gates of Beast’s Castle. At least, he was pretty sure it was the right place, but a shadow of doubt was cast over his mind as he tossed a sweeping glass over the courtyard. What had once been a gloomy, moonlit, ice-frosted tiled courtyard had been renovated into an expansive garden, with the bright spring sun burning in a bright blue sky. Sora’s feet slapped against pristine white tiles as he strolled down the pathway leading to the castle proper, his hands clasped behind his head as he looked back and forth. Whoever the gardener was clearly possessed some talent, as the hedges were trimmed into effigies of various forest animals; Sora saw a regal elk, a pair of prancing foxes, and even a howling wolf.

“Did I get lost?” he wondered aloud as he continuing to inspect the cheery garden. Granted, he hadn’t visited the world since he defeated Xemnas, and so he supposed worlds didn’t stay stagnant forever. Just look at how pretty Radiant Garden was, a far cry from the squalor and darkness of Hollow Bastion. He was feeling a little more sure of himself when he finally came to the great doorway leading into the castle, which didn’t look too terribly different- except it was open to the world, allowing the fresh spring breeze to waft in. “Weird. I wouldn’t think that the Beast would want any regular visitors,” he wondered aloud as he skipped up to the threshold. Not wishing to be rude, he gave a few raps of his knuckles against the wood, which he noticed had recently been given a fresh coat of paint.

“Hello?” he called into the empty entryway. “It’s me, Sora! Um, is anyone home?”

He cocked an eyebrow as he heard the frantic squeaking of what sounded like shoes on waxed floors rapidly approaching. His eyebrow crept all the way up to the roots of his spiky hair when a blonde-haired little boy suddenly burst out of the door he recalled leading to the kitchen to scamper right up to him. The floor actually had just been waxed, because he slipped and slid a little as he careened over to Sora, managing to stop himself in the doorway by grabbing hold of the broad wooden door. “Er, hi,” Sora blinked at the human boy.

“Sora! Long time, no see!” Sora gawked at him in utter confusion.

“I’m sorry; do I know you?”

“It’s me! Chip!” the boy grinned and pulled his mouth open with his fingers to display a chipped front tooth. “Shee? Shee? Ish me!” he insisted before dropping his hands from his mouth. Sora’s mouth hung open as his neurons struggled to process that the little chipped teacup was now a hyperactive little boy.

“Chip! Where are you, Chip?” a motherly voice floated out of the still-swinging kitchen door. Soon a portly woman came bustling out, rubbing her hands on a dishtowel and shaking her head. “So much energy… Chip! Oh, there you are, honey,” she smiled as she spotted her son standing in the open doorway with the still shell-shocked Sora staring stupidly at her.

“Mrs. Potts…?” Sora asked hesitantly as the apron-wearing woman came walking over.

“Why, hello, Sora. How nice of you to come calling.”

“I’m confused. So confused.” He groaned and pressed his aching forehead into the doorframe. Last he had seen, the castle was home to an assortment of live odds and ends, not human beings. He vaguely recalled the magical rose and some semblance of a curse, and the pieces finally clicked into place in his mind. His head shot up with a gasp of epiphany. “Oh, so does this mean the castle’s curse is broken?!”

“That’s right, dear. All of us have returned to our human forms! Master opened up the castle again and has been making right by himself. He sure is popular with the townsfolk these days!” Mrs. Potts chortled as she took Chip by the shoulder and pulled him into her stout body. Chip smiled as he wrapped his twiggy arms around her thick waist. “Life has never been better.”

“I’m glad to hear that!” he smiled genuinely. It did him good to know his friends were doing well.

“How about you, dear?”

“Well…” he frowned and scratched at the side of his head, trying to relate his problems to the kind lady without disrupting the order, because he knew Donald would harp on him about that if he ever found out. “Let’s just say, I had a really important task to do that I bungled real good, and now I’m back to square one.”

“Your friends aren’t with you?”

“I decided to travel by myself for a while. There’s a lot of stuff I need to figure out and do, and I can’t have my hand held, y’know? Gotta find my own inner strength!” he grinned while clapping his hands together. His smile wavered a little, though; it was terribly hard being without his friends, and he really didn’t have much of a clue what had happened to him, either. Just all his powers, gone, just like that. He had been roaming the worlds for a while now, trying to piece together how he had stockpiled all that power in the first place, but it was a terribly lonely process. He had decided on a whim to pay a visit to Belle, because she was really smart and could probably point him in the right direction. “I came to see Belle because she’s read a lot and knows a lot, so I thought she could give me some advice.”

“Oh, well, she is a very smart young lady. At the very least, I’m sure that a cup of tea and a nice chat will do wonders for you! Belle’s in the library. I’ll bring you some refreshments along soon! Come, come, Chip; we have work to do,” the maid smiled as she bustled the excitable boy back to the kitchen. Chip hurriedly learned around his mother’s appreciable frame to wave excitedly in farewell, which Sora returned amiably. The young Keyblade wielder then set off for the great library that Belle pretty much called home.

“Hello? Belle, you in here? It’s Sora!” he announced as he ambled in, hand cupped to his mouth so his voice would reach into the depths of the tall stacks of books. He heard her greeting come floating back and he followed it through the towers of dusty tomes until he came upon her, seated primly at a table with books piled up around her. It always amazed Sora how fast and how much she could read; he had no doubt that those books were ones she had finished, probably for the fourth or fifth time. “How ya doin’?” he asked her jovially as he grabbed a chair and flipped it around to straddle it, arms crossed over the top with his chin resting against his forearm.

“Quite well,” she responded as she marked her page and shut the book to address him properly. She rested her hands primly on her aproned dress, smiling sweetly. “I have to say this is a surprise, but a good one. Your friends are not with you?” _Man, I didn’t realize how much people associate me with Donald and Goofy, _he thought in amusement.

“Nah. I’m goin’ solo right now.”

“A journey of self-enlightenment?”

“Yeah, you could say that,” he said with a light blush, admittedly having only a surface-level of understanding of the term but not wishing to look foolish in front of the smart princess. “So, the curse is finally broken, huh? Good for you guys.”

“Oh, yes. Adam and I have been making the most of our good fortune.” At his owlish look, she giggled and explained, “That’s Beast’s real name, Prince Adam.”

“Oh.” His gaze dropped to the book she had set down in front of her, and, curious as ever, he picked it up to inspect the back cover. “You really do like adventure books, don’tcha?”

“Of course. The world is vast, as you know, and it’s hard to see it all with your own eyes. Books are a wonderful way to do so.” The corner of Sora’s mouth twitched at the irony that Sora was probably the worlds’ leading expert on vastness, but he didn’t say anything because preserving the order and all that junk. He flipped the book open to rifle through the pages, barely scanning the printed words. “I don’t have much time to read. Y’know, bein’ a Hero of Light and all is a full-time job.”

“I’m sure it is, and a hard one, too. I imagine you’re here because you’ve hit a wall of some sort, yes?” Sora smiled sheepishly at how easily she was able to read him. Man, if he only had half as many functional brain cells as the intelligent princess, he could probably riddle out his problem and scamper back to Yen Sid’s a champion. He set the book down, sliding it back in front of her before collapsing into the top of the chair with a dramatic sigh.

“Yeah, you got me. I sorta lost all my strength in a big blunder on my part, and now I feel like I’m being left behind,” he pouted miserably as he toed the plush rug beneath the table. “I’ve been travelin’ around lookin’ for answers on how to get it back, but so far, I ain’t found _nuthin’_.” He punctuated the statement with a snort through his nose. Belle smiled sympathetically at him.

“I see. I’m sure it’s a heavy weight on your mind.” She turned to pry a book from within the stack beside her. “Heroes bear the heaviest burdens of us all, I reckon. I’m not versed in heroics, but whenever I feel overwhelmed, I can always find a book that puts my mind at ease. Would you like me to read for you, Sora?”

His eyes lit up and he scooched the chair a little closer, smiling broadly while nodding emphatically. Belle had a pretty voice, so he was sure that whatever she read to him would be invigorating. He could probably read her a recipe and he’d be totally enthralled. Belle smiled serenely as she settled back in the chair and flipped the book open to the first chapter. Sora melted into contentment as he listened to her sweet, honey-like voice. There was something about it that was just so calming and reassuring, telling him that everything was going to be okay. As promised, Mrs. Potts brought them tea and cakes, but Sora was so caught up in Belle reading aloud that he didn’t hardly notice, and just munched on the snacks on autopilot without much savoring of the sweets.

She read him the whole novel. It was actually pretty riveting; it was about an exiled prince who had been stripped of all his power and wealth and had gone on a grand journey to reclaim his throne. He made a lot of trusted friends and was able to win his throne back. Listening to it, Sora felt hopeful about his situation; sure, he had no idea of how yet, but he was gonna bungle along this little road of his until he made it back. If Sora was good at anything, it was not giving up.

“Do you feel better?” Belle asked him as she shut the book.

“Yeah, loads!” he grinned brightly at her as he sat up in the chair to stretch his arms above his head. “I’m gonna do whatever it takes! I gotta get my power back because a lot of people depend on me. I can’t be a burden to them, especially not now.”

“Don’t overdo it,” she cautioned him gently. “Your friends are there for you, too. Take all the time you need and make sure it’s done right. I’m sure you’ll become strong again.”

“Thanks, Belle,” he smiled, then took the teacup in front of him to knock it back and drain the last dregs of the sugary tea from it. “Man, Mrs. Potts makes good tea.”

“Yes, she does,” Belle laughed good-naturedly. “I know you’re busy with things far beyond my understanding, but you’re always welcome here, Sora. I’d always love to tell you a story.”

“Yeah, totally! I’ll bring Riku and Kairi- my friends- one day too!” _And Roxas, and Xion, and Naminé, and Lea, and Terra and Aqua and Ventus, _he thought, a determined smile inching up on his lips. He had to get stronger soon to save all of them, but like Belle said, at least he could be content knowing that Riku and Kairi were both in good hands at the moment. Sora could focus all he wished in reclaiming his lost powers. Belle eyed him almost sorrowfully as he pushed himself up with his hands and swung his leg over the chair to straighten out his clothes.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Yeah,” he said with an apologetic glance. “As much as I would like to stay, the road’s out there waiting. I better get walkin’.” She laughed and stood to accompany him on his exit. She walked him to the front gate, smiling gently all the while. He blushed a little as he looked back to her, rubbing the back of his head.

“What is it, Sora?”

“It’s kinda embarrassing, but I was kinda thinking that you’re like a big sister I never had,” he admitted with a shy laugh. Belle’s smile grew warm, and she closed the small distance between them to give him a firm hug. Sora returned it gratefully, though his face took on a darker shade of fuchsia. _Riku would totally make fun of me if he saw this… _After she pulled back, he sniffed and rubbed the underside of his nose, laughing bashfully. “I’m really glad things worked out here.”

“As am I. Things will work out for you, too. Patience and perseverance, Sora.”

“I gotta work on the ‘patience’ part,” he snickered before turning to push open the gate. Belle gave him a wave of farewell as he strolled out onto the path leading to the woods, and he gave her one last little wiggle of his fingers before he whirled around, putting one foot in front of the other with his hands clasped behind his head. There was his road, stretched out before him. He didn’t know quite how it would travel, but he knew one thing for certain: his friends were waiting at the end, both those who had been with him through thick and thin and those he hadn’t met yet. That was all the motivation Sora needed to keep walking.


	7. Existence

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Roxas, Naminé

Requested By: Anonymous User

The emerald leaves quivered in the rolling breeze, filling the earthy air of the woods with the sound of their rattling rush. The gentle cacophony complimented the resonant birdsong echoing overhead. It was punctuated with the drumming of a woodpecker boring his nest into one of the sturdy oaks of the little forest. A pair of squirrels rummaged among the fallen acorns, stuffing them into their cheeks pouches until they bulged profusely. The rest they buried in a little pocket of soil, likely to be forgotten and give birth to an oak sapling in the coming summer. Naminé's blue eyes watched the small rodents closely, while her hand skated across the paper, penciling a rendition of the brown squirrels to life. 

The rustling of her pencil case startled them into the trees. They clawed up the trunk to vanish among the green leaves and peer down at Naminé with beady black eyes. Naminé chuckled at their skittishness and retrieved her green colored pencil to add more details to the grass, ferns, and trees in her drawing. Once she finished, she brushed away the eraser bits and pencil chunks and admired her handiwork. She had captured the little wood in everlasting purity, down to the pair of squirrels prancing about for their meal. 

The squirrels' tails twitched as a twig snapped, piercing the tranquil atmosphere like an arrow. Naminé peered around the girthy trunk of the tree amongst whose roots she lounged to sweep her gaze around the small wood. At first, she could see only mulberry bushes and thickets surrounding the dirt path, until a sprout of blonde hair appeared around the edge of a skinny birch. 

"Naminé?" Roxas called, cupping his hand to his mouth. His voice carried through the empty air to breach the corners of the forest. 

"Here!" she answered with a little wave. Roxas’ ocean-blue eyes landed upon her, and his lips curled upward into a small smile. Naminé immediately dropped hers to the ground as the clawed hand of guilt twisted her heart. _He really shouldn't be smiling at me… _she thought sadly. _I'm mainly the reason he suffered so much and even… had to **disappear**. _She reclined back against the sturdy oak, anxiety bubbling in her belly as his crunching footsteps grew ever closer. 

"Naminé?" His voice was soft and troubled. Naminé did not deserve his concern. Flushing with shame, she played with the corner of her notebook, thumbing the stack of pages. Her mouth twitched as Roxas squatted down beside her to inspect her latest creation. "You've gotten better," he remarked. She dared to peer through her peripheral vision at him and found him warmly admiring the artistry. "It almost seems like I'm looking at a photograph." This time, the exaggerated compliment made her blush. 

"It's not _that_ good." 

"_I_ certainly couldn't make something like this," he insisted with a loose gesture over the page. Despite herself, Naminé smiled. It was always nice to receive compliments on one's work. _Yet… _she thought uncomfortably as the doubt crept back into her mind. _He shouldn't be so nice to me. He can't have forgotten what I did. _"What's that funny look on your face for?" he asked and plopped down in the grass beside her. Naminé's cheeks brightened, and she resumed fiddling with her drawing notebook. 

"I-I thought you were with Hayner and the others playing Struggle?" she said, hoping the conversation would shift without much resistance. Roxas sneered and drew his knee up so he could lay his arm over it. 

"I was, but Hayner's a sore loser. I demolished him three sets in a row, so he decided to give up." Roxas' brazen confidence made her giggle a little. She could very much imagine competitive Hayner flinging the foam Struggle wand after suffering such a humiliating defeat. Roxas smiled brightly at her little chuckles. "Anyway, Olette suggested I come check on you. You've been out here a while."

"I suppose I just got side-tracked. There are a lot of good things to draw out here." Roxas raised an eyebrow and gestured at her drawing pad. She flushed fiercely, feeling somewhat self-conscious, but would not deny the boy his perusing pleasure. He slid the book from her lap and began to flip through her most recent drawings. A curious bluebird peeked up at them, seemingly disgruntled that its meal of an earthworm had been interrupted by watchful eyes. A cluster of slimy brown mushrooms crowned by three white-winged moths bunched among the roots of a tree. A mottled thrush struck a snail’s shell against a rugged round rock, hoping to crack it so it could feast on the gooey creature inside. A patch of dandelions swayed in the gentle breeze; a few of its delicate seeds floated on the wind to a new home.

“Wow,” he breathed in admiration. Roxas’ eyes absorbed every minute detail of the colored pages like he was attempting to glean some hidden meaning within the pencil wax. Naminé flushed and fidgeted beside him. She had never really let anyone pore over her drawings like this before; she wasn’t used to such a high level of praise. _And on top of that, coming from Roxas… I am undeserving. _“Naminé, these are really gre- Hey, why are crying?” he gasped, dropping the drawing pad.

Naminé had even realized that tears had sprung to the corners of her eyes. Looking away in embarrassment, she wiped them away with the knuckles of her index fingers. “Naminé? What’s wrong?” His tone of voice was just so kind, so pleading. Would he forgive her if she apologized? The weight of her sins was suffocating on her chest, making it feel like her lungs were gripped in a steel vise. Whimpering pitifully, she just inched away from him, hugging her knees to her body. Subconsciously, Naminé thought that if she squeezed herself tight enough, she would blot right out of existence- just like she had doomed him to be all that time ago. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Roxas raise a hand, hesitant to touch her.

“… I can’t help you if you don’t _talk_ to me.” Roxas’ fingertips brushed lightly over her elbow, sending electric sparks jumping through her nerves. Naminé twiddled her thumbs nervously and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “… Is it me?” he asked suddenly. Naminé’s cheeks burned apple-red, ashamed that her actions would lead him to question himself. Hastily, she shook her head, making her platinum-blonde hair bounce around her shoulders.

“No! It’s me!” she corrected loudly. When she realized she had all but admitted the source of her anxiety, she flushed darker and fisted the soft fabric of her white dress. There was nothing for it now; she _had_ to confess. “It’s _me_,” she repeated in a small voice. “I just can’t understand why you’re being nice to me.”

He blinked slowly.

“Um… Well, _I_ don’t understand why you think I _shouldn’t_ be nice to you.”

“Because it’s my fault!” she shouted, finally forcing herself to look him in the eyes. Roxas’ oceanic irises were swimming with confusion, which only served to frustrate her more. “It’s my fault you had to disappear.”

“Oh. That.” His tone was flat and unfeeling. He shifted, pressing his back against the trunk of the tree and parting his legs slightly to begin plucking up the grass blades between his thighs. He wound the thin green shoots between his fingers until he tore them asunder, making the tiny fibers snap one after another. He fiddled with the grass a long time, and soon a pile of destroyed grass blades piled up between them. She watched him anxiously, barely breathing, but had not the courage to probe his mind. “It certainly wasn’t how I wanted to end my summer vacation, even if it was entirely fictional,” he said with a wry, pained smile. Naminé’s fragile heart cracked, and a wave of sickening nausea rolled over her, making her press her arms around her belly. _I knew it… He hates me…_ she thought with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“But I don’t blame _you_.” She gasped and looked at him incredulously to see him genuinely smiling. “You were a Nobody too, once. The fact that we shouldn’t really have existed in the first place was something we _both_ had to come to terms with.” Naminé squirmed beside him. He wasn’t _wrong_.

Roxas frowned and tossed one of the shredded grass blades into the air, watching as the breeze caught it to carry it over to the squirrels, which had resumed their hunting among the acorns. His mouth twitched into a smirk. “Sure, you rewrote Sora’s memories, and they ended up bleeding into me, but it’s not like you _knew_ that would happen. Regardless of anything you or I could have done, the result would’ve been the same,” he shrugged and rolled his head to look at her reassuringly. She leaned forward with a broken look. 

“I did everything I could. Riku and DiZ thought we were just Nobodies, but…” she clasped her hands over her heart and grimaced miserably. “I wished more than _anything_ that you and I wouldn’t have to return to Sora and Kairi.”

“And I knew that,” Roxas smiled and turned his head upwards to peer at the patches of sunlight filtering in through the leaves. He picked up a small leaf that had been ripped from the branches by an animal or a fierce gust of wind and tossed it up. It spun slowly as it floated back down to land on his lap. He repeated the action, smiling wanly. “Deep down, I _knew_ that, so I never blamed you.” He tossed the leaves aside and rested his hands behind his head, in a very Sora-like gesture, but it carried the air of confidence that was so inherently Roxas. “Besides, thanks to Sora being hopelessly stubborn, we’re all here now, right?” he smirked and gave her an amused side-eye. “So, don’t cry anymore. He wouldn’t like it if you did, and for the record, neither do I.” A pink haze drifted up to her cheeks, and she resumed fiddling with the hem of her dress. She wasn’t quite sure what to say to that.

So, she settled for something simple.

“_Thank you, Roxas_.”

He smiled kindly at her and crossed his legs, leaving one hand behind his head while the other held out her drawing book to her. Naminé took it with a grateful smile and flipped it open to a blank page.

“What’re you going to draw now?”

“The two of us.” His smile widened, and he settled more comfortably against the robust trunk of the tree before drifting his eyes shut. Naminé didn’t necessarily need him to serve as a model, but she was grateful for his company, nonetheless. Using a light gray pencil, she sketched out the frame before she plucked a honey-gold one from within the confines of her pouch. She held it up to the light, admiring the way the sun made its golden hue shine all the brighter. It seemed like the pencil contained the sun’s rays itself in solid form.

“I don’t suppose you have a name for your drawing yet?” he asked her with a smirk, cracking an eye open to peer at her through blond lashes. Naminé smiled and set the golden pencil to the paper, sketching out his fluffy hair.

“I think I’ll call it _Sunshine._” He blinked, then looked up at his curling bangs. He snorted in laughter and pinched a few of the thick strands between his thumb and forefinger, twisting them around.

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” He scooched closer to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders rather than crushing it up against her side. Naminé didn’t mind, but his closeness and rapt attention brought a flush to her cheeks anyway. He _was_ like sunshine, bathing her in his warmth as she slowly brought the pair of them to life on the page- seated under a sprawling oak tree, tucked within its roots, smiling and laughing together. It was the future she had imagined for them all those many moons ago, when their lives were forfeit, and they simply begged for existence. Smiling happily, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and in turn, he pressed his cheek into the top of her head with a little nuzzle that tickled her scalp.

“Roxas?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad things turned out this way.”

“Me too, Naminé.”

Grinning, she continued to breathe life into the page, capturing the absolute reality of the two of them side-by-side in the quaint little wood. She took extra care to paint the smiles on their faces, capturing forever the joy the two of them were so plainly feeling.

_Thank you for always being there for me. _


	8. Talking to the Wind

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff 

Characters: Kairi

_ Here’s a story for SoKai Week’s Day 3 prompt, “Thinking of You.” Enjoy!  _

Kairi’s eyes were closed as she listened to the rhythmic flutter of the wind through thousands upon thousands of emerald-green leaves. The tune carried through the wood to flit up to the small bluff on which Kairi was seated. The grass was cool against her legs, which were tucked up to her body. She cracked an eye open when she felt a peculiar crawling sensation and found a ladybug creeping over the soft skin of her thigh. She extended her finger in front of the small creature; it poked at her fingertip with its thin black feelers before clambering up to perch contentedly on her fingernail. Kairi raised her hand into the air to frame the red-and-black beetle in the bright sunlight. It flapped its wings before fluttering off with a muted buzz. 

Kairi exhaled deeply and reclined back on her hands, pushing out her legs so that her ankles dangled down over the chasm extending beyond the bluff. A sea of green stretched on before her, and the breeze ruffled waves into the expanse of leaves. Kairi could almost imagine she was back on Destiny Islands, lounging in the hot sand with the surf kissing her toes. She closed her eyes once more. She pretended that the forest breeze carried a hint of salt, and the sound of the ruffling leaves was the crashing of waves against the shore, bringing with them salt spray and seashells and promises of worlds far, far away. 

Kairi hummed contentedly and smiled at the image. She could literally smell the sweet coconut milk and taste the succulent flesh as she mentally cracked one open. She could feel the waxy, smooth surface of the palm tree leaves as she imagined her fingers coasting over them. She could hear Sora and Riku laughing blissfully as they clacked their wooden swords together in their daily fight. Sora turned to her with that goofy, toothy smile that never failed to make her heart sing in her chest like a reverent choir. The peaceful image suddenly took a bittersweet turn, and Kairi found tears brimming in the corners of her eyes and her bottom lip wobbling. With a shaky breath, she opened her eyes to stare out into the sea of green. 

“I miss that,” she whispered. The breeze picked it up and carried it away. She fancied that it delivered it all those worlds away, wherever Sora was- her simple message and unspoken wish to see him again. “I miss _you_, Sora.” 

Sighing deeply, Kairi looked down at her hands to mindlessly play with her cuticles. It seemed like a life age since she had last seen him; for the last several years, they existed lightyears from one another. Though Kairi no longer had to play the spouse waiting for their soldier to come home and carried a Keyblade, the distance was still agonizing. Suddenly, she flopped back into the grass. Pollen clouded into the air and was whisked away with the breeze. Unfortunately, the wind couldn’t carry away her melancholy. Kairi could see Sora’s face before her waking eyes, all toothy smile and sparkling bright eyes. 

“Where are you now?” she wondered aloud. The dandelions beside her head fluttered and dislodged their seeds as if to say, _we are everywhere yet nowhere. _That’s what it felt like to Kairi, the enigmatic Sora. He tromped from world to world, leaving a clear trail of friendship and light in his wake, but to Kairi, he was nowhere. No matter how fast she ran, how desperately she reached out, he eluded her. She could only grasp the glimmers of light he left behind. She lolled her head to the side to observe the dandelions; a few of their floatable seeds clung to the stems, hesitant to go on into the world. 

_ I remember being like that,  _ Kairi smiled wistfully. _Even though I had only a hazy memory of you, I still waited on that beach for the day you came home. _That endless blue expanse had frightened her immensely. What dangers lie in its black deeps? What waves waited to toss her about and lead her astray? She had waited, and waited, and _waited_\- and eventually, destiny had been forced to come to her. Kairi pursed her lips and blew strongly on the dandelion seeds, forcing them to detach and coast away as the breeze picked them up. “Sometimes destiny comes to you,” she chuckled wanly. 

She sighed again and looked back up at the sky. It was brilliantly blue that day, with puffy white clouds sailing through its expanse. “Are you looking at the same sky? I suppose you can’t, since we’re not in the same world,” she mused ironically. “Still, is the sky you see as beautiful as this?” The grasses rippled in response to the ever-present wind. “I wish I was there with you,” she lamented quietly. Sora’s role in this tremendous inter-world battle was monumental; Kairi knew that. She just wished she could fight properly at his side for once. Sure, he had Donald and Goofy and the rest of their friends, but sometimes, Kairi wondered how many burdens he shouldered alone. 

“I hope you’re eating and drinking well,” she chuckled. “Can’t save worlds on an empty stomach!” The breeze rushed past her again, apparently intent on being her mail carrier. She liked the idea that the winds crossed time and space to bring her wishful thinking to Sora; it made his long absences slightly more bearable. “You always did love to eat. When was the last time you had salted fish and fries? Your mom used to make the best!” Talking to the wind had been awkward at first, but as she conversed with her silent partner, the words came more naturally. 

“I hope you’ve outgrown your clumsiness, too,” she chuckled, holding her knuckles to her lips as she shoulders shook lightly. “I remember how many times I had to put bandages on your cheek or your knees because you fell and scraped yourself up… I have a feeling that Donald wouldn’t dote on you like I would.” Her laughter rang through the quiet wood air. The birds twittered in response, and a few even joined her to hop amongst the logs and wildflowers, pecking at grasshoppers and aphids camouflaged in the spring green. Kairi chuckled again and sat up, fingers skipping over her knees and elbows. Small, healing scrapes and scratches decorated the skin there, evidence of her long training in the hidden, timeless world. 

“Now _I _look the clumsy one! I find bruises and scrapes I don’t even remember _getting_! I swear that Axel tries to beat me up in my sleep so that he doesn’t lose face,” she laughed. 

_ “What? No way!”  _ she could hear Sora chime. He’d raise an eyebrow and playfully nudge her with an elbow. _“Axel has a right to be scared, though. No one’s tougher than you, Kairi!” _She hung her head down as she chuckled breathily. Yeah, that was _definitely_ something Sora would say. He was always so encouraging and kind; he was just an all-around good, sunny guy. It was no wonder she was kind of in love with him. 

She wasn’t sure quite when it happened. Yet, happen it did; her feelings were unmistakable. Whenever she pictured or thought of Sora, her heart would flutter, and her veins would flood with a bubbling happiness. Light danced around his image in her mind. He was her sun, casting light on her world. She only wanted to be an equal light for him, to chase away the darkness that threatened to encroach on him at every turn. 

Kairi exhaled through her nose and stood up to walk up to the edge of the bluff. She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled as the breeze wrapped around her, embracing her with invisible arms. Had Sora spoken back, and hugged her to tell her they would see each other soon? She liked to think so. With a serene smile, she expressed her final words to the wind for that day. 

“Be safe. We’ll see each other soon, Sora. This time, I’ll fight alongside you.” The winds rushed forward to deliver her words to the boy so far, far away from her. It ruffled her skirt in its enthusiasm, and the gentle sound joined the melody of the tree limbs shaking in the gale. As she turned around to head back towards the training grounds, she could almost imagine what he’d say. 

_ “Can’t wait! I’ll bet you’re even stronger than I am.”  _ The breeze echoed with his joyful laughs. _“See you soon… Kairi.” _

_ “Until then, I’ll be thinking of you.” _


	9. Sky and Sea

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Characters: Kairi, Sora

_Hi, all! This story is for Day 5 of SoKai Week, for the prompt "Sky and Sea." I hope you all like it!_

Kairi’s eyes were closed as she stood upon the small circular island protrusion jutting out into the sea, listening to the gentle washing of the waves against the land’s edge. The frothy white seafoam splashed onto the toes of her shoes as the water crashed up against the earth. It made the scent of salt and seaweed waft up into her nose. She inhaled the familiar scent with a small smile; it was a modest perfume, even unfavorable to some, but to Kairi, it was the aroma of home_. _The serene expression on her face gradually brightened as she basked in the sounds of Destiny Islands- the sounds of _home_. 

The gentle crunch of shoes on sand tore her attention away from her contemplative appreciation, and she glanced over her shoulder to see Sora making his way over from the clubhouse. He smiled happily when he glanced up and noticed her watching his approach. He trotted across the wooden bridge that joined the little circle of land to the main island, then hopped over the curving palm tree to join her at the edge of the island. 

“Hey, Kairi. Whatcha doin’?” 

“Oh, just enjoying myself,” she answered with a dreamy smile at the horizon. Her eyes beheld the line of forever marking the junction of sky and sea, sapphire to robin’s egg blue. “It’s funny how little you appreciate things until they’re taken from you,” she remarked with a small hum. Indeed, Sora and Kairi didn’t realize how much they had meant to one another until they were literally ripped apart and had to journey across dozens of worlds to find their way back to one another. “I just wanted to take a moment to commit this to memory,” she sighed, gazing at the beautiful sea through lidded eyes. “I don’t ever want to forget.” 

“Yeah,” Sora smiled agreeably and reclined against the sand-blasted trunk of the palm tree, resting his hands behind his head. His blue eyes searched the horizon, and a little twinkle that appeared in the sky-colored irises indicated to Kairi that he’d found whatever it was. The edges of his smile lowered a little and his gaze drooped down to his feet. “Yeah… Forgetting is painful.” 

Kairi crooned soothingly and walked over to lay her hand on Sora’s shoulder. In a moment of thoughtlessness, Kairi had neglected to recall the fact that Sora’s memory had literally been wiped at one point in time. The boy, persistently optimistic, shot her a smile when she squeezed his shoulder. 

“Ah, I’m okay. I remember _now_, so that’s what matters, right?” 

“Yeah!” Kairi giggled with a nod. Sora’s smile widened to flash perfect white teeth at her. Kairi had always loved Sora’s smile; it was like the sun, bright and blazing. It could illuminate even the darkest of rooms, and never failed to send sadness and doubt fleeing into the dark recesses of her mind, too scared to face against his boundless cheerfulness. Kairi hopped up onto the curved stem of the palm tree, her calves brushing against the meat of Sora’s left arm. “Yeah, that’s what matters,” she murmured, mostly to herself. 

Kairi hummed contentedly as she swung her feet lightly, banging her heels against the sturdy trunk. The seascape shimmered like thousands of diamonds as the sunlight struck the transparent surface to scatter white globes of light across the continually shifting waves. Above the horizon line, white clouds moseyed lazily through the endless blue like ships sailing on to various destinations. The sun burned a bright yellow circle in the sky, streaming rays of light like arrows to warm their skin. Kairi rolled her shoulders as the sunbeams struck them and spread a soothing warmth over her person. It was remarkable, she thought at that moment, how different yet alike the sky and the sea were. 

Kairi reached out into the air with a smile, splaying her fingers out over the space that joined the two blue expanses. Sora regarded her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Whatcha doin’?” 

“I was just thinking,” she mused with a grin, “that you and I are like the sky and the sea.” Sora blinked and looked at the horizon, then back to her with a puzzled expression. Kairi giggled and spread her arms upward. “Sora, you’re like the sky! Bright and open and clear… Sometimes the weather changes to get stormy and uncertain, but no matter what, it always returns to the beautiful blue expanse- just like you, always optimistic even after the worst of times.” Sora’s cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink, and he laughed bashfully, playing with the spiky hairs at the base of his neck. 

“Wow, Kairi, thanks,” he stammered shyly. Kairi giggled at his adorable reaction and pointed at the sea. 

“So that makes _me _the sea… It takes the brilliance of the sky and reflects it, kinda like how you inspire me to be greater every day.” With eyes as wide as blue moons, Sora whispered her name in awe. Kairi giggled and tapped her cheek with the pad of her index finger mirthfully. “But, I’m amazing on my own, too! I’m _tenacious_!” she grinned and balled up her fists tightly as a show of resolution. “No matter what, I’m gonna keep beating at the shore until I move _mountains_!” 

“Hehe, yeah, that does sound like you,” Sora agreed with a laugh. Kairi pouted at him, thinking that perhaps he was teasing her, but he was grinning amiably at her. His absolute confidence in her sent a warm, fuzzy feeling bubbling up in her chest. The brown-haired boy glanced back at the horizon and smirking knowingly. “Yeah, I agree. You and I are kinda like the sky and sea,” he agreed with a nod. “Especially because we’re always connected.” 

“Huh?” she blinked. Sora pointed at the horizon line, the smudge of gray where the glittering sea gave way to smooth light blue. “No matter how far you go in either direction, you can always trace back to the horizon. Just like us!” His blue eyes gleamed at her when he glanced over his shoulder, smiling brightly. “I’m always connected to you, Kairi, no matter how far apart we are.” She flushed as he turned around to grasp both her hands tightly, thumbs caressing the tops of them with gentle touches. She fluttered her red eyelashes at him bashfully as he smiled radiantly. “No matter what, I’ll _always _meet you at the horizon,” he solemnly promised. 

“Oh, Sora,” Kairi sniffed with tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. Chuckling, Sora nudged her knees apart with his hips so that he could step between them and reach up to cup her cheeks. His thumbs made those soft sweeping motions again, this time to catch her tears and wipe them away. Kairi leaned into his touch; though his hands had grown callous from his extended time wielding the Keyblade, his hands were still incredibly gentle. “Thank you… I’ll always come to meet you.” 

“I know,” he smiled sweetly. “That’s what makes me strong. No matter how far away I go, I can keep moving forward knowing that you’re at my side, Kairi.” The auburn-haired girl smiled lovingly and nuzzled her cheek into one of his broad palms. 

“Well, I hope that it’ll be a while before you have to go marching off again,” she joked. Sora smirked and shrugged slightly. 

“Well, y’know, bein’ a Hero of Light and all is a _pretty_ demanding job,” he jested with a playful roll of his eyes. Kairi snorted and kicked him in the thigh with the toe of her shoe, making him jerk to the side and whine indignantly. “I’m kiddiiiiiing! I hope so, too,” he laughed. His smile then softened, and he pushed a swathe of her dark red hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. His eyes went searching again across the planes of her gradually blushing face, but Kairi had no clue what for. His gaze finally settled into her eyes, growing lidded as he stared adoringly into the vibrant depths. “I hope so too, Kairi,” he repeated in a husky voice full of feeling. Kairi instinctively inhaled, feeling a strange emotion blooming within the depths of her being. It intensified as Sora’s gaze slowly trailed down to rest on her slightly parted baby-pink lips. “Kairi… Can I…” He didn’t finish the question, but Kairi knew very well what he was asking. 

“_Please_,” she implored in a breathy whisper. Still staring intently at her lips, Sora slowly closed the distance between them. Their eyes drifted shut simultaneously at the first brushing of his mouth against hers. As his lips molded over hers in an impeccably sweet, chaste kiss, Kairi’s hands ran up his arms to settle on his shoulders. Sora’s hands tentatively found purchase on her waist, holding her steady as she became lost in the constant waves of his gentle kisses. 

Kairi’s eyes fluttered open when he retreated and found his bright blue eyes tenderly beholding her face. The girl blushed slightly and fidgeted, not used to such overt affection. Sora chuckled at her sudden shyness and stroked her cheek with his knuckles, following the line of her cheekbone before pushing his fingers into her auburn locks. 

“Thank you for always being there for me, Kairi. You’ve helped me more than you can imagine.” Kairi smiled coyly and leaned her face into his palm, fluttering her eyelashes at him. 

“Of course. I’ll always be there for you, Sora.” 

After a few minutes of just staring earnestly into each other’s eyes, Sora hopped up onto the sloped palm tree beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She snuggled into his side and rested her cheek against his shoulder, smiling warmly as his comforting presence washed over her. Sora grasped her hand and interlaced their fingers, then, with a sly smirk, brought her hand to his mouth to press a lingering kiss to the top of her hand. She blushed at the smooth gesture and buried her brightening face into the fabric of his sleeve. She shook as Sora’s shoulder jumped up and down with merry laughter. 

Kairi finally calmed down enough to peer out at the glittering horizon. Together, the two teenagers linked by fate and destiny admired the eternally joined blues of the sky and sea.


	10. The Path to Happiness

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Ventus, Terra, Aqua

Terra awoke with a strangled gasp, fisting the damp sheets as he bolted upright in bed. Ragged, strangled gasps tumbled from his lungs, and cold sweat poured down his pallid, clammy skin. Slowly, the visions of darkness and icy rush of fear melted from his system, making him bonelessly flop against the headboard. He drew his palm across his face, catching the sweat in the ridges of his hand; he then dropped his arm against the mattress and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling with an exhausted sigh. He traced the patterns of the rafters through lidded eyes, trying to occupy his addled mind with meaningless drivel as the fear and doubt and guilt tried to creep back in from the shadows. 

The sharp claws of nausea pawed at his belly, making bile bubble up into his throat. Reconciling with the fact that sleep would not find him for quite some time, he tossed the covers off himself and slipped out of bed. The tiled floor was cold against the soles of his feet as he shambled barefoot out of the room, allowing muscle memory to guide him through the gilded halls of the castle situated at the center of the Land of Departure. He couldn’t find his way consciously, as his mind was too spent from struggling with phantasms of past mistakes. 

Moonlight streamed in from the stained-glass windows to dapple across his broad shoulders and throw dark shadows up in odd places. In a moment of lapsing mind, the darkness seemed to bulge up behind him in a hostile mass, latching onto his shoulders like a parasite ready to suck all the light left within him. With a strangled cry, Terra whirled around, unconsciously drawing his Keyblade. The hairs on the back of his neck rose to catch the sweat rolling down from his dampened brown tresses as he searched the darkness warily, terrified to find the glint of golden eyes lurking within. Only the pale starlight and the empty air of the long hall greeted him.

Terra groaned, rubbing at the clammy flesh at the back of his neck as he sheathed his weapon with a faint sparkle of light. He rubbed his face again, struggling to retain a shred of sanity. Ever since finally ridding himself of Xehanort’s parasitic presence, Terra had grappled with paranoia and night terrors. It was just so hard to believe that the nefarious pariah was truly no longer plaguing the worlds; Terra would see visions of him, stalking in the dark corners of his vision and melting out of the shadows. He’d have to convince himself that it was only a trick of the mind, a mere ghost that couldn’t hurt him. 

The guilt was harder to reconcile with. If Terra hadn’t been so reckless, so weak to the beguile of the darkness within him, maybe things would’ve gone differently. 

“Ugh. Stop that, Terra,” he chastised himself as he mushed the skin of his face with his palms. He teased into the fronds of his chocolate-colored hair and grimaced at the uncomfortable sensation of the sweat clinging to the strands. Suddenly finding the wide hall stifling, he renewed his pace to quickly exit the castle, stepping out into the starry night sky’s wide, welcoming arms. The glittering pinpricks of the stars and the endless expanse of indigo blue brought a weary smile to his face. Anytime things got tough, he’d recall that promise the three of them made to each other beneath those same stars, an oath that took much too long to fulfill. 

Terra strode out into the nighttime tranquility, the long grasses kissing the fabric of his pants. The starlight enveloped him like an old friend, bathing him in pale whiteness. Terra inhaled deeply, and as the cool air flooded his nostrils, he almost imagined that he was inhaling the celestial light itself, the stardust nourishing his bones and blood to lull him into a sense of peace. A gentle smile worked onto his face as he finally felt the tension melt from his shoulders. 

Just as Terra made it to the iron-wrought fencing, leaning against it to gaze into the Land of Departure stretching on before him, he heard a sleepy, “Terra…?” He glanced behind him to see Ventus shambling tiredly down the sloped grassy hill, rubbing at his eye as a yawn split his face. “What’re you doing up so early?” Aqua strolled behind him; her blue eyes narrowed in an acute sense of worry. Terra found himself chuckling. He’d escaped the castle to find some sense of solitude, but it seemed the universe had other plans. 

“Did you have a bad dream?” Ah, Aqua, perceptive as always. Terra smiled defeatedly at the tall, lithe woman as she strode up, head cocked to the side in curiosity. There was no point in lying to her, so he just nodded. Aqua smiled sympathetically and leaned her side against the iron railing. The somber look in her sea-blue eyes told him that Aqua herself was no stranger to the night’s unnerving terrors. Terra exhaled deeply and pressed down against the railing, pushing his weight down onto his outstretched legs as he balanced his crossed arms and torso onto the metal structure. His eyes reflected the glittering landscape of the stars, hollowly, like opaque glass. 

“Ten years. Ten years I wasted as that man’s slave,” he breathed. His voice fogged in the air as if metamorphosizing into the ghost that his soul was that long, dark decade. “All because I wasn’t strong enough.” His head dropped as he uttered the sentence, chin thumping against his sternum. 

“Terra!” Ventus interjected, jumping forward to grab onto the hem of his form-fitted shirt. Terra had to smile; spending ten years asleep as a fractured heart didn’t make him any less childish. Ventus’ blue eyes regarded him worriedly as he pawed at the shirt. “It’s not your fault. It’s Xehanort’s.” 

“Yeah. I know, Ven,” Terra chuckled and reached out to affectionately ruffle the younger boy’s hair. Ventus’ giddy smile was infectious, curling Terra’s lips upwards subconsciously. However, the hollow shadow of doubt pulsed in Terra’s chest. So how many times he tried to convince himself that the decades-long sequence of events resulted from forces out of his control. Then, he’d think back to the Mark of Mastery examination, to the flicker of darkness that intrigued Xehanort and made the old man zero in on his newest pawn. 

Even if Terra had been pure and rejected the darkness completely, the guilt would have stayed. He failed to stop Xehanort, dooming a new generation of children to take up the mantle and shattering dozens of hearts in the process. If it had just ended there, the Organization would have never been created, nor all those souls twisted to darkness. If it had just ended there, Sora’s world never would have fallen into ruin to plunge him into a harrowing and dangerous journey spanning the worlds. If it had just ended _there_, so much heartbreak could have been avoided. 

_I should have been stronger. No one else should’ve had to clean up after us! _

“Terra.” Aqua’s voice called to him like the shining light of a lighthouse to a vessel traversing a perilous sea. His head swiveled in search of her soft voice, her pale face, finding her sparkling blue eyes regarding him warmly. Her hand slipped up the meat of his muscular arms to rest just at the base of his deltoid, the gentle touch soothing him in ways words never could. “No one blames you. Please stop blaming yourself.” His eyes narrowed sadly as Aqua gazed intently at him. “If these long years have proved anything, it is that we cannot shoulder these burdens alone. It was always meant for us to come together to stop his great evil. The path to happiness is often paved with mistakes and heartbreak.” 

Damn. Aqua was always so poetic. 

“Yeah!” Ventus grinned, shoving his head underneath Terra’s arm to flash him a toothy smile. “So many cool things woulda never happened if things went differently. We never would’ve traveled the world and experienced all those things. Sure, Xehanort made the organization and split himself into two. If his Heartless was never created, Sora wouldn’t have gone on his journey and met all his wonderful friends. If the Nobodies were never made, Lea never woulda met _his _friends! Roxas and Naminé and Xion wouldn’t even _exist_. All of these connections and friendships that we can enjoy now would never have been made in the first place,” he pointed out. As always, Terra found himself cheered by the boy’s boundless optimism. Ventus giggled as Terra slung his beefy arm around the back of his neck and hugged him into his chest. 

“Man, you’re so right. You’d be stuck with us boring grown-ups instead of all the kids your age, huh, Ven?” The blond laughed mirthfully as he wriggled in Terra’s grip. 

“But I like you guys! You’re my best friends!” 

“It’s okay, Ven. You don’t have to make us feel better,” Terra joked. Ventus pushed on Terra’s ribs to pry himself free, head popping up to display his pout and the more-poofy-than-usual tufts of honey-blond hair sticking up at odd angles thanks to Terra’s manhandling. 

“I mean it! Anyway, why are you derailing from the conversation?” Terra snorted and resumed leaning against the railing, shaking his head. When he looked back up at the starry sky, the light had returned to his eyes, making his blue irises shine like the waves of the sea. 

“I’m not. I’m just feeling better, I guess.” 

“Well, that’s good,” Aqua offered appreciatively. Terra only hummed in response, appreciating the brilliance of the celestial bodies flickering above. All those words contained within the stars, traversed by generations of Keyblade wielders in a chronicle far from over. He wondered what the next stage of their journey held, what chapter would unfold in the coming days. He supposed it didn’t matter; as Aqua said, they were all tied by destiny, and their fates would unfurl soon enough. 

Terra could now face the future bravely, bolstered by his two dearest friends in all the many, many worlds.


	11. Safe Travels

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Xion, Naminé

The waves splashed upon the shoreline, frothing with seafoam as they rolled in from the effervescent ocean stretching into the horizon. Naminé stood just out of reach of the popping white bubbles and swirling blue-green water, her eyes closed as she listened to the continuous roaring of the moving water gracing her ears. The salty sea breeze was ever-present, ruffling the swathes of her platinum-blonde hair around her shoulders like the lacy curtains of the mansion room she’d spend so long isolated in. But unlike the cold forest breeze that had risen goosebumps on her skin, this wind was warm and flush with sunlight. A serene smile graced her pretty pink lips as she harkened to the enchanting melody and absorbed the rays of the shining summer sun. 

After so long envisioning what Destiny Islands must be like, it was gratifying to finally be able to behold its simple beauty for real. 

Naminé opened her eyes as footsteps crunched in the pristine white sand, approaching. She turned to see Xion trekking towards her, a little hunched to keep her balance as her feet sunk into the dense dunes. Naminé greeted her with a pleasant smile, which Xion returned. 

“It really is soothing, isn’t it?” the black-haired girl remarked as she stopped beside Naminé, crossing her hands behind her back as she appreciated the water. It glittered like diamonds as the sunlight refracted off the waves. “I used to come here sometimes back when I was still a part of the Organization… Listening to the water always seemed to wash my problems away, if only for a little while.” At the mention of her previous occupation, Xion’s face sagged into a regretful smile full of self-loathing. 

“I can’t believe I let them manipulate me a second time,” Xion sighed, fidgeting uncomfortably as she ran her hands up her bare arms, staving off a chill only she could feel. “After they re-created me with the Replica, I just felt so… lost and confused. I didn’t have Axel or Roxas anymore; I was all alone…” She dropped her chin against her chest, watching sorrowfully as the waves kissed her toes as if in reassurance. “Blaming Sora for my problems was just so much easier than dealing with the fact that I was letting them use me again…” 

“Hey,” Naminé frowned. The blonde shuffled closer to Xion’s side to rest a hand on the girl’s shoulder. The other girl looked up with cinched eyebrows, doubt and regret swimming in the deep pools of her eyes. “No one blames you. We all know firsthand how manipulative the Organization was, and several of us have done things we regretted.” She gestured to her chin to Lea and Isa, who were further up the dunes with some of the other boys playing frisbee. Their laughter and indignant cries drifted down the beach, melding with the gentle melody to the waves to create a symphony of peace— a hard-won peace. 

Naminé looked back to Xion with a sweet smile. 

“You’re our friend. It doesn’t matter what mistakes you’ve made in the past; what matters is how you move forward from here.” 

Xion’s bottom lip wobbled as tears flooded her eyes. With quiet sniffles, she rubbed at her face in an attempt to staunch the water streaming down her cheeks before the others could notice. Naminé discreetly pressed up against her, rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back and whispering gentle words of comfort. Xion’s tears dripped from her chin down into the sloshing water below. They mingled with the brine, and the receding water washed them out to sea— and Naminé hoped they took Xion’s sorrows with them. 

“Thanks, Naminé. I feel better,” Xion said after she finished crying, thumbing at her eyes, which were now a little pink and puffy. Naminé hummed encouragingly and clasped her hands behind her back, slowly swinging her hips from side to side. Xion glanced down at the swirling waves again, and this time her smile was much happier. “Besides, it wasn’t _ all _bad.” 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah! I got to meet Roxas and Axel— _ Lea _. I will never get used to that,” she laughed while rubbing at the back of her neck. “Anyway, I got to meet everyone thanks to that, even if it was kind of in a messed up way.” 

Naminé giggled, holding a curled index finger to her mouth as her shoulders shook daintily. 

“That is true. The one good thing Xehanort and the Organization did was to bring us all together.” 

“Yeah! And I did get to travel to a whole bunch of worlds while I was with them. Of all the places I got to see, Destiny Islands was always my favorite,” she mused with a contented look. “Well, except for the clock tower where we eat sea salt ice cream, but that’s a little different. I liked coming here to look for seashells.”

“Hey, Xion, did you ever find any Thalassa shells?” Naminé asked. Xion looked at her with raised eyebrows, and then her face split into a grin. 

“Yeah! I found lots of them.” 

“Kairi told me that they have special meaning,” Naminé said, shyly glancing down at her feet. “She said that they were good luck charms to sailors, ensuring them safe travels on their journeys.” She looked out to the horizon again, the line between sky and sea that stretched on endlessly— a promise of countless unknowns. “I have the strangest feeling that our journeys are far from over… So I wanted to find some and give them to everybody, to wish them good luck, wherever their journeys may take them.” 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Xion said with a nod. Beaming, she squatted down and inched towards the surf, not seeming to mind the seafoam that splattered up onto her black dress. “Come on! Let’s find some right now. I bet Kairi can teach us how to make one of those good luck charms she gave to Sora,” she chirped as she plunged her hands into the froth and began rooting around in the wet sand. 

Naminé crouched down beside her, with wide and uncertain eyes. 

“You don’t think she’ll mind? She made that especially for him.” 

“Of course not. I think what’s more important is the special bond you have with the person you’re making it for, you know?” Xion laughed cheerfully. “It’ll be something unique to us, and that person will carry out wishes of good luck with them wherever they go. No single one can be the same, and I think that’s amazing, don’t you? Just like no single person can be the same— even Nobodies like us. In due time, we all develop hearts of our own.” 

Naminé found herself nodding in agreement, filled to the brim with a sense of ease and purpose at Xion’s words. 

“Yeah! I get what you’re saying,” she giggled and, like Xion, dipped her hands below the clear water to shuffle around in the sand. She gasped when she felt something stiff brush her fingertips. She hurriedly scooped it up and brought it up to the surface to inspect it. “Ah! Look, Xion, I found one!” she beamed and leaned in closer to show her. Xion surveyed it with much enthusiasm. 

“Wow! That’s a pretty one!” 

It really was. It was hued in deep lavender, fading into a brilliant sky blue rimmed with pale white. Naminé found herself smiling. 

“It reminds me of you.” 

“Really?” Xion blinked, blushing shyly. Naminé nodded, then held it out to her with a soft smile. “You’re giving it to me? I thought you wanted to make good luck charms.” 

“We can make them with other shells, but this one is special. I want you to have it. Safe travels!” Naminé smiled sweetly. Pink-faced, Xion hesitantly took the shell and held it up to the light, admiring the way the sunbeams reflected off its curved, shiny surface. Naminé rested her hands on her thighs, eyes bright as Xion looked back at her with a moved expression. “You and I… We’re connected because we both came from Kairi. I’m still not really sure what my place is in the world now, but… I’m relieved that I have someone else who can sort of experience that with me.” 

Xion blinked slowly, weighing her words, and then smiled gently. 

“Yeah. I get what you mean.” Xion stood up to tuck the Thalassa shell into her dress pocket, then stared back out at the shimmering sea. Naminé also rose to her feet, shaking the seawater from her fingers to send diamond droplets skittering down into the wave. Xion suddenly snickered and turned to face her, grabbing her hands tight and squeezing. “Naminé, I’m really, really grateful that we could meet.” 

“Me too,” Naminé agreed and tilted her head to the side as she smiled so wide that her face muscles ached a little. The two stood there beside the surf, saltwater mixing between their linked fingers, as the sea breeze swept over them and ruffled their hair. “So, wanna see who can find more seashells?” she challenged suddenly, a roguish look overtaking her pretty features. Xion’s eyes widened in shock at the meek Naminé’s bold proposition. 

“Oh? You’re on!” she laughed and immediately dove back down to begin rifling rapidly through the water. Naminé squawked in protest and hurriedly joined her, elbowing Xion in the shoulder while protesting the head start. 

As Naminé’s fingers weaved through the delicate, grainy sand in search of the shells, she glanced out at the bright blue waves. 

_ I’m glad we got to meet, too. I’m glad that we get to exist and get to be together like this. _

_ I’m glad we get to enjoy these peaceful times… before the next stage of our journey comes. But I’m not afraid. Even though we’re all sailors, borne out into a perilous and uncertain sea...We’re all bound by the connections between our hearts and the friendships that will last a lifetime. _

_ Safe travels. _


	12. Garden of Shadows

Category: Drama

Characters: Marluxia, Naminé

The girl’s steps were hurried and frantic as she shuffled alongside Marluxia, whose own strides were languid and prideful. Her head hung low, chin bumping against her chest as she fixed her blue eyes on her scuffling feet. Her platinum-blonde hair bobbed around her slim shoulders with every rushed movement. She was such a delicate thing, like a porcelain doll that would shatter at one ill touch. 

“Naminé,” Marluxia purred. Like a marionette under his will, her head immediately snapped up to fix that hesitant, troubled gaze upon him. It was so pathetically adorable; she was like a puppy, terrified of her master but dependent upon him all the same. “Chin up, my dear,” he drawled with a wave to their surroundings. The pristine whiteness of Castle Oblivion embraced them like a halo, shielding them in its clean brilliance. “This is your new home. I am sure you will find it quite accommodating.” 

“Oh… Yes…” Her voice was as soft and delicate as the rest of her being. She reminded Marluxia of a dandelion, borne by the wind to an uncertain future. Unfortunately, she had not been granted the luxury to plant her roots and grow into beautiful white bloom but had been plucked from the sky by a gaggle of crows and brought back to the coven for a plot most foul. Her roots would flourish on lies and deceit; her little petals would blossom into a tale of misery and betrayal. 

Marluxia found himself smirking maliciously, eager to see the flower of Naminé’s magical prowess burgeon post-haste— and he, the lone rose among a garden of weeds, would moderate her growth with the utmost scrutiny. He had his own plans for the beguiling little witch, after all. 

The tall white door creaked ominously as Marluxia pushed it open. Prepared for her coming, the nondescript castle room had fashioned itself into a bedroom. A lotus-like light bloomed in the ceiling to cast the area in a soft yellow glow that turned the bright white of the decór an egg-white. A simple twin bed nestled in the corner, and on the opposite side rested a small circular table with a single chair. Rather than ushering Naminé to the bed, Marluxia bundled her to the tea table, pushing her firmly down into its upholstered surface. She looked around the room slowly, then up at him with cinched eyebrows. 

“No windows?” 

“Why would you need windows?” he shrugged, trying not to let the annoyance bleed into his tone. He wanted the girl to be willing to meddle with Sora’s memories, after all; it would be much easier to control her if Marluxia remained amicable. He plastered a sickly smile on his face, but her eyes flashed fearfully as she detected the malice swimming in the depths of his aquamarine eyes. “Naminé, Naminé,” he tutted as he leaned down to squeeze her shoulders tight, “the only window you need is here.” She frowned as he poked her in the forehead. 

“Here?” she repeated lusterlessly, raising her hand to brush her fingertips across the pale skin of her brow. Marluxia struggled to maintain his composure, astounded by how dim-witted the girl was. He swallowed down the venom threatening to overtake his tongue, instead languidly rising to stand behind her, leather gloves digging into the white upholstery of the chair. 

“That’s right, Naminé. That power of yours is going to be very useful. You feel it, don’t you?” he said, leaning down to purr into her ear while he stared into the distance, into the vision of his grand plans coming to fruition. “He approaches… The Hero of Light.” 

“The Hero of… Light,” she echoed quietly. She clasped her hands over her heart as she similarly stared into the nothingness. Marluxia’s rose-pink strands of hair brushed into her pale white strands as he nodded encouragingly. 

“That’s right, Naminé.  _ Sora  _ is coming.” 

The girl gasped; her blank mind did not recognize the name, but her heart did. Marluxia crooned, pleased that he was finally getting somewhere with his hapless captive. 

“Yes. He’s coming here to the Castle. Would you like to meet him— the boy responsible for your creation?” Naminé turned her head to flutter her pale lashes at him, cheeks coloring with hope. “He will be here very soon… He has heard the call from your heart, how lonely you are, and followed you here.” With a low whimper, Naminé pressed her hands into her chest as if it would ease the dull ache of her fledgling emotions. Marluxia hoped they would not develop too thoroughly; she was a special Nobody, able to  _ truly  _ feel, and it would be troublesome if she began to feel  _ too much. _

“He will come here, and so Naminé, you have a very important job.” 

She perked up in her chair, blinking in curiosity. She immediately shrank back as the sadistic smile spread across Marluxia’s face, for he could not contain his malicious glee. So much meticulous planning and plotting were about to roll smoothly into motion. The leather of his gloves squeaked as he clenched the chair in a stranglehold. 

“You are going to use your powers to manipulate Sora’s memories until you have him wrapped around your little finger. Do you understand?” 

Naminé gulped thickly as the weight of his order bore down on her, making her press down into the soft fabric of the chair. Her fingers nervously clawed at the lace hem of her dress, nails accidentally scratching her thighs to score long, red marks into the skin. She quivered as he languidly stood to his full height, a sprawling red rose towering over and throttling the life out of a scraggly little dandelion. She withered and quailed before his might, hugging her sketchbook to her chest. 

“Yes, Marluxia. I understand.” Just a whisper of a breath, ghosting past her trembling lips. Marluxia preened at her compliance; contented, he offered faux praise in the form of a pet to her soft locks. She continued staring at the enamel surface of the tea table as Marluxia strode towards the exit. 

“Don’t disappoint me now, Naminé,” he warned as he stood in the threshold of the door, fixing his stern gaze and placid smile on her. “I think you can imagine how that would end for you.” 

He could see the tears brimming in her eyes as she whispered, “Yes.” 

With that, he closed the door, the slam echoing through the spacious castle. As soon as he was safe beyond the thick wood, he unleashed the laughter that he had been suppressing. He allowed the bliss and triumph to consume him for just a minute. He spread out his arms and tipped back his head as the cackles wracked his form. It felt so splendid, basking in the fruit of his labors. However, he only allowed himself the opulence of his success for a short while. 

There was still so much to do, after all. Though his scheme was finally in motion, he had to continue to oil the cogs to keep his perfectly designed machine working. 

Curious, he pried the door back open to see Naminé sketching away. He chuckled darkly to himself. 

_ Toil away, my little dandelion… You can’t help but crave the light and draw him forth, but little do you both know that you’ll be casting him in everlasting darkness.  _

_ I can’t  _ ** _wait_ ** _ .  _


End file.
